Oral testing devices and methods

ABSTRACT

An oral testing device has a housing comprising a window for visually exposing test strips within the housing and a donor sample pad coupled to a first end of the housing. In addition, the oral testing device has a mirror hingedly coupled to a second end of the housing positioned for viewing the test strips when the donor sample pad is inserted within a donor&#39;s mouth.

BACKGROUND

There are a variety of tests that are used to test whether a donor haspartaken in any number of drugs. There are urine tests in which a donordeposits his/her urine into a cup, and test strips are submerged in theurine. The test strips have drug indication lines that appear or do notappear based on the presence or absence of drugs in the urine.

In addition, saliva tests exist in which a donor inserts a testingdevice in his/her mouth. The saliva is then tested, via the testingdevice, to determine whether the donor has partaken in any number ofdrugs.

The saliva testing devices are often difficult to use. In this regard,it is often difficult to get enough saliva on the test strips to ensurean accurate test. Further, it is often difficult to know when anadequate amount of saliva has been collected to run the test because thesaliva must be transferred to the test to determine if an adequateamount of saliva has been collected to run the tests, and because thetest strips are not visible to the donor when the saliva is beingcollected.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scalerelative to each other, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary oral testing device with anattached mirror in a closed position in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the oral testing device, such as isdepicted in FIG. 1, with the attached mirror in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the oral testing device, such as isdepicted in FIG. 1, showing the housing of the oral testing deviceremoved from a plurality of testing strips.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a user using the oral testing device, such asis depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for an exemplary method in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to oral testing devices. In particular,an exemplary oral testing device in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure comprises a housing having a first end that iscoupled to a donor sample pad for insertion into a donor's mouth. On atop side of the housing is a window that exposes at least one test stripenclosed within the housing.

In operation, as the donor's saliva saturates the donor sample pad, thesaliva is absorbed by the test strips. As saliva is absorbed by thestrips, the strips change colors, e.g., pink. If no drug is detected, aline will appear for each drug that is tested. If a drug(s) is detected,a line will not appear for the drug(s) that is being tested. There arealso control lines at an end of the strips that appear to indicate thatthe test ran properly. A mirror is hingedly coupled to a second end ofthe housing. As the donor's saliva is absorbed by the test strips, thedonor can view in the mirror when enough saliva has been absorbed tochange the color of the test strips indicating that enough saliva hasbeen absorbed to run the test properly.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary oral testing device 100 in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure. The oral testing device 100comprises a housing 104.

In one embodiment, the housing 104 is composed of a plastic-typematerial. For example, the housing 104 may be made out of moldedplastic. The housing 104 may be made out of other types of materialsknown in the art or future-developed in other embodiments of the oraltesting device 100.

A donor sample pad 101 is coupled to an end of the housing. The donorsample pad 101 is inserted through a mouthpiece 102. The mouthpiece 102terminates at a lip stop 103.

In one embodiment, the donor sample pad 101 is made out of an absorbentmaterial, such as, for example, a cotton-based material. The materialabsorbs saliva of a donor when the donor sample pad 101 is held withinthe donor's mouth for a period of time. The donor sample pad 101 may bemade out of other types of absorbent materials known in the art orfuture-developed in other embodiments of the oral testing device 100.

The oral testing device 100 further comprises a mirror 105. The mirror105 is hingedly coupled, via a hinge 106, to the housing 104. Notably,FIG. 1 shows the mirror 105 in a closed position.

FIG. 2 depicts another perspective view of the oral testing device 100.FIG. 2 depicts the donor sample pad 101 inserted through the mouthpiece102 that terminates with the lip stop 103. Further, FIG. 2 depicts themirror 105 coupled via the hinge 106 to the housing 104.

FIG. 2 further depicts a window 107 within the housing 104. The window107 is transparent so that a plurality of test strips 108 can be viewedthrough the window 107. In one embodiment, the window 107 comprises aplastic transparent cover that protects the test strips 108 frommoisture and impurities.

In one embodiment, the test strips 108 comprise a plurality of drugindicators. For example, the test strips 108 may have a drug indicationline and corresponding text for cocaine (COC), Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC), methamphetamine (MET), opiates (OPI), or amphetamine (AMP). Thus,as saliva is absorbed by the test strips 108, the test strips 108 changecolor, e.g., white to pink, and drug indication lines for each drugappear to indicate that such corresponding drug is not present in thesaliva. Notably, if one of the drugs is present in the saliva, a linewill not appear. Note that the drugs listed are for exemplary purposes,and the saliva may be tested for other drugs known in the art.

When the mirror 105 is in an open position, as shown in FIG. 2, areflective side 109 of the mirror 105 is positioned such that light fromthe test strips 108 is reflected by the reflective side 109 of themirror 105. Thus, when the donor sample pad 101 is inserted in thedonor's mouth, as shown herein with reference to FIG. 4, the donor cansee the test strips 108 in the mirror 105. By viewing the test strips108 as they change color in response to saliva, the donor knows whenenough saliva has been absorbed to run the test properly.

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of the oral testing device 100 with atop portion of the housing 104 removed for illustrative purposes. Thedonor sample pad 101 is inserted through an opening 300 in themouthpiece 102 and extends pass the lip stop 103 to the test strips 108.

The donor sample pad 101 contacts the test strips 108. Thus, there isfluid communication between the donor sample pad 101 and the test strips108. Hence, when a donor places the donor sample pad 101 in his/hermouth, the donor's saliva is absorbed by the donor sample pad 101. Assaliva is absorbed by the donor sample pad 101, saliva transfers fromthe donor sample pad 101 to the test strips 108.

The saliva is absorbed by the test strips 108 and moves from the donorsample pad 101 through reagent pads on the test strips 108 toward themirror hinge 106 (FIG. 2). As the saliva moves through the test strips108, the test strips 108 change colors, e.g., white to pink, asdescribed hereinabove. Once the color changes, enough saliva has beenabsorbed to run the test properly. The test strips 108 may also changeto another color, such as blue, if other technology besides colloidalgold antibodies is utilized.

When the donor sample pad 101 is in the donor's mouth, the donor canview changes in the window 107 (FIG. 2) via the mirror 105 (FIG. 2).Thus, the donor knows when saliva has been absorbed enough to performthe drug test on the saliva by the changing of the color of the teststrips 108, e.g., white to pink. Once the donor views that saliva hasbeen absorbed so that the tests are being performed on the saliva, thedonor can remove the oral testing device 100 from the donor's mouth.

FIG. 4 depicts a donor 400 that is using the oral testing device 100. Asshown, the donor 400 inserts the donor sample pad 101 into his/her mouth401. In this regard, the donor's mouth 401 fits around the mouthpiece102, and the oral testing device 100 is inserted into the donor's mouth401 until the donor's lips 402 reach the lip stop 103.

In the housing 104 is the window 107, which shows the test strips 108(FIG. 2). In use, the mirror 105 is placed in an open position.

As saliva is absorbed by the test strips 108, the test strips 108 changecolor, e.g., white to pink. Light from the window 107 having the teststrips 108 is reflected from the mirror 105. Such reflection can beviewed by the donor's eyes 403. Thus, when the donor 400 sees the teststrips 108 change colors, the donor 400 can remove the oral testingdevice from the donor's mouth 401.

FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart for an exemplary method in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. In step 500, the donor inserts byhand or otherwise the donor sample pad 101 (FIG. 1) of the oral testingdevice 100 (FIG. 1) in the donor's mouth 401 (FIG. 4).

In step 501, the donor views the test strips 108 (FIG. 2) within theoral testing device 100 through a mirror 105 hingedly coupled to theoral testing device housing 104 (FIG. 2). The donor views the teststrips 108 through the window 107 (FIG. 2) that is within the housing104.

In step 502, the donor removes the donor sample pad 101 from the donor'smouth 401 when the test strips 108 change color indicating that enoughsaliva has been absorbed to run the test properly.

1. An oral testing device, comprising: a housing comprising a window forvisually exposing a saliva test strip within the housing; a donor samplepad coupled to a first end of the housing, wherein the donor sample padis in fluid communication with the saliva test strip, and the donorsample pad is configured to transfer saliva to the saliva test strip;and a mirror directly attached to a second end of the housing, whereinthe mirror is configured to be positioned such that a reflection of thesaliva test strip via the window is reflected by the mirror such thatthe reflection is in the field of view of the donor.
 2. The oral testingdevice of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a mouthpiece.
 3. Theoral testing device of claim 2, wherein the housing further comprises alip stop.
 4. The oral testing device of claim 3, wherein the lip stop ispositioned contiguous with the sample pad and the sample pad extendsoutwardly from the lip stop.
 5. The oral testing device of claim 1,wherein the donor sample pad extends through an opening in a mouthpiece.6. The oral testing device of claim 5, wherein the donor sample padcontacts the saliva test strip.
 7. The oral testing device of claim 6,wherein the donor sample pad is positioned contiguous relative to thesaliva test strip.
 8. The oral testing device of claim 1, wherein themirror is directly attached to the second end of the housing via ahinge.
 9. The oral testing device of claim 8, wherein the hinge isconfigured to place the mirror in an open position where the mirror isconfigured to reflect the saliva test strip via the window such that thereflection is in the field of view of the donor, and the hinge isfurther configured to place the mirror in a closed position, where themirror covers the window.
 10. The oral testing device of claim 1,wherein the saliva test strip is a plurality of saliva test strips. 11.The oral testing device of claim 1, wherein the housing is composed of aplastic material.
 12. The oral testing device of claim 11, wherein thehousing is made of molded plastic.
 13. The oral testing device of claim1, wherein the donor sample pad is made out of a cotton-based material.14. The oral testing device of claim 1, wherein the window comprises aplastic transparent cover.
 15. The oral testing device of claim 1,wherein the saliva test strip is configured to test for one or more ofcocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), methamphetamine, opiates, andamphetamine.
 16. A method for ensuring a proper saliva sample size, themethod comprising: providing an oral testing device comprising: ahousing comprising a window for visually exposing a saliva test stripwithin the housing, wherein the saliva test strip is configured toprovide a visual indication when a proper saliva sample size iscollected; a donor sample pad coupled to a first end of the housing,wherein the donor sample pad is in fluid communication with the salivatest strip, and the donor sample pad is configured to transfer saliva tothe saliva test strip; and a mirror directly attached to a second end ofthe housing, wherein the mirror is configured to be positioned such thata reflection of the saliva test strip via the window is reflected by themirror such that the reflection is in the field of view of the donor;inserting the donor sample pad of the oral testing device into the mouthof the donor; and removing the donor sample pad from the donor's mouthwhen the saliva test strip indicates the presence of a proper salivasample size as viewed by the reflection of the test strip via the mirrorto the field of vision of the donor.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinthe visual indication of a proper saliva sample size is a change incolor.
 18. A method for testing a donor for drug use, the methodcomprising: providing an oral testing device comprising: a housingcomprising a window for visually exposing a saliva test strip within thehousing, wherein the saliva test strip is configured to indicate thepresence of a drug in the user's saliva; a donor sample pad coupled to afirst end of the housing, wherein the donor sample pad is in fluidcommunication with the saliva test strip, and the donor sample pad isconfigured to transfer saliva to the saliva test strip; and a mirrordirectly attached to a second end of the housing, wherein the mirror isconfigured to be positioned such that a reflection of the saliva teststrip via the window is reflected by the mirror such that the reflectionis in the field of view of the donor; inserting the donor sample pad ofthe oral testing device into the mouth of the donor; and removing thedonor sample pad from the donor's mouth when the saliva test stripindicates the presence of a proper saliva sample size as viewed by thereflection of the test strip via the mirror to the field of vision ofthe donor, wherein upon absorption of a proper saliva sample size, thetest strip also provides a visual indication of whether or not the drugis present in the saliva.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the visualindication of a proper saliva sample size is a change in color.
 20. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the saliva test strip is configured to testfor one or more of cocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), methamphetamine,opiates, and amphetamine.